How has Novak Djokovic got permission to play Australian Open: Medical exemption details and timeline

ByMichael Hincks

Updated 04/01/2022 at 15:33 GMT

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has been granted a medical exemption to play the Australian Open. Tennis Australia said in December that a three-person independent panel would review each application for an exemption, while a second review from a government-appointed panel would also look at the case before it is passed on to the Australian Immunisation Register.

Novak Djokovic is playing at this year’s Australian Open, ending months of speculation regarding his participation in the first Grand Slam of 2022.

Craig Tiley, the head of Tennis Australia and Australian Open tournament director, had hinted a resolution was close on the weekend, and now Djokovic has been given permission to play in Melbourne, there are questions regarding how this is possible given the uncertainty surrounding his vaccination status.

Australian Open organisers had said players must be fully vaccinated to participate, although in December, Tiley then explained an exemption was possible.

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• Djokovic to play in Australian Open after confirming medical exemption

Djokovic confirmed he had been granted "exemption permission" in a social media post on January 4, less than two weeks before the Australian Open starts.

How Tennis Australia grants medical exemptions

When confirming Djokovic's participation, Tennis Australia said in a statement: "Djokovic applied for a medical exemption which was granted following a rigorous review process involving two separate independent panels of medical experts.

"One of those was the Independent Medical Exemption Review Panel appointed by the Victorian Department of Health. They assessed all applications to see if they met the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) guidelines."

The exemption submissions are all confidential, making it very unlikely Djokovic’s reasoning will be made public.

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The full process below is per Tennis Australia:

"The Covid-19 vaccination protocols for the Australian Open, including the process for players seeking medical exemptions, have been finalised by the Victorian Department of Health and Tennis Australia.

"Under an independent process, applications for a medical exemption were first reviewed by an expert panel made up of doctors from the fields of immunology, infectious disease and general practice.

"Applications that met the national guidelines set by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) were then subjected to a second review conducted by a Government-appointed panel of medical experts, the Independent Medical Exemption Review Panel.

"The applications were reviewed and approved only in line with ATAGI guidelines.

"The process included the redaction of personal information to ensure privacy for all applicants.

"The multi-step independent review process was designed to ensure the safety of everyone at the Australian Open."

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Timeline: Djokovic gets the Aus Open green light

Last year the Serbian world number one called his vaccination status a “private matter”, although it looked set to rule him out of the Australian Open.

In November, Djokovic’s father Srdjan cast doubt on his son playing in the tournament when accusing Tennis Australia of “blackmail” over their vaccination mandate.

“Everyone has the right to decide for their own health,” Srdjan told TV Prva in Serbia. “But given this blackmail and these conditions, Novak will probably not play the Australian Open.”

Victoria’s sports minister Martin Pakula refuted the “blackmail” claims” and said the policy was in place to protect people within the state.

Djokovic beat Medvedev in last year's Australian Open final

Image credit: Getty Images

Tiley stressed that players needed to be fully vaccinated, although in December he seemingly opened the door to Djokovic highlighting that a player could feature if they receive a medical exemption.

"To be clear upfront, no one can play the Australian Open unless they are vaccinated," Tiley told ABC.

"The only condition at which, outside of being vaccinated, that you could compete is if you receive a medically approved exemption from Australian authorities.

"I've seen reports this morning. There have been no medical exemptions that have been granted at this point.”

With under a fortnight to go, Djokovic has benefited from this exemption and will now pursue a 21st Grand Slam overall and 10th in Australia.

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